December 12, 2017 Meeting on the one-year anniversary of its first gathering at Auburn Seminary in New York City, the Way Forward Commission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) held a 3-hour conference call today to hear reports and initial recommendations, plan for its report drafting sessions and look beyond General Assembly 223 (2018).

December 12, 2017 The gift you didn’t know you were getting this year could be free e-books, audio Bible stories and family activities from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Growing in Grace and Gratitude children’s curriculum.

Presbyterian Mission Agency

Committees

Council

The Council is comprised of fifteen members and meets prior to each Stated Meeting of the Presbytery with all its actions reported to Presbytery as items of information or recommendations for action.

The Council’s duties shall be to: coordinate the mission of the committees and churches of the Presbytery; recommend goals and priorities at least every three years; review the relationship between Presbytery structure and mission; recommend an annual budget for Presbytery approval no later than the October meeting of Presbytery; consult with the Committee on Ministry about dividing, uniting or dissolving churches for more effective ministry; nominate members for Presbytery’s Nominating Committee; and approve the Presbytery Docket.

The Council may appoint task forces, for a specified term, to act on specific objectives of Presbytery.

The Council shall work with its Business-Budget and Personnel Committees to plan, organize, staff, budget, coordinate and evaluate Presbytery mission and program, and to give guidance on matters relating to the peace, unity and purity of the church.

Committee on Ministry

The Presbytery shall elect a moderator and eleven members to be its Committee on Ministry, of who at least five shall be teaching elders and the balance ruling elders. The General Presbyter shall serve as a resource for the committee without vote. The quorum of the committee shall be one-third of its voting members with at least one teaching elder and one ruling elder. The Committee shall elect a vice-moderator, or co-moderators, as they deem appropriate. The committee shall have these responsibilities.

The committee is authorized to act on behalf of Presbytery to find in order calls issued by churches; to approve and present calls for services of ministers; to approve the examination of teaching elders and lay pastors transferring from other Presbyteries; to dissolve pastoral relationships in cases where the congregation and pastor concur; to grant permission to labor within or outside the bounds of the Presbytery; and to dismiss ministers to other Presbyteries, with the provision that for approval all such actions will be reported to the next Stated Meeting of Presbytery.

Business and Budget Committee

The Council’s Business-Budget Committee shall be comprised of six members including the moderator at least two of which shall be teaching elders. The moderator of this committee shall be a member of Council. The moderator of Council, Moderator of Presbytery, and the General Presbyter will serve as ex-officio members without vote.

The duties of the Business-Budget Committee shall be to: serve as the Trustees of the Presbytery; review finances of the Presbytery and arrange for its annual audit, and develop the annual Presbytery budget for Council. The committee has authority on behalf of Presbytery to approve the sale, acquisition, mortgage, lease or encumbrance of real property by a particular church, reporting such action in full through Council to the next Stated Meeting of Presbytery.

The Business-Budget Committee shall have the responsibility to bond any person who is authorized to write and sign checks or to sign and deposit checks from the churches.

Personnel Committee

The Council’s Personnel Committee shall be comprised of six members including the moderator. The moderator of this committee shall be a member of Council. At least two of the members shall be teaching elders. The General Presbyter, Moderator of Presbytery, and moderator of Council will serve as ex-officio members without vote.

The Personnel Committee will review annually the Personnel Policies and may recommend revisions to council.

Committee on Preparation for Ministry

The Committees on Preparation for Ministry shall be comprised of a moderator and five members elected by the Presbytery. At least two members shall be teaching elders with the balance being ruling elders or deacons.

The committee shall provide care, guidance, and oversight of Inquirers and Candidates for the office of teaching elder; dismiss candidates in accordance with the Book of Order, with the provision that all such actions be reported to the next Stated Meeting of the Presbytery; supervise training for and examination of Lay Pastors ; elect or appoint readers of cooperative examinations for candidates, appoint administrative commissions to ordain, approve scholarship applications of Inquirers, Candidates, and Lay Pastors, and authorize career assessments for Inquirers, Candidates, and Lay Pastors.

Nominating Committee

The Presbytery’s Nominating Committee shall be comprised of six members broadly representative of its churches, which specifies one-third teaching elders, one-third lay women, and one-third lay men. No one may serve on the committee for more than three consecutive years. The Presbytery shall elect one of its members as moderator.

Unless otherwise specified in the Standing Rules, the committee shall nominate persons for all elected Presbytery positions including commissioners to Synod and General Assembly, excepting the Nominating Committee.

Youth Ministry Council

The youth ministry committee shall be comprised of six people, in addition three youth may serve one year term, to develop and implement a vision for youth ministry in the Presbytery of Central Nebraska.